LAWRENCE, Kan. — After a surge in COVID-19 in Douglas County at the beginning of July, health officials decided to close down bars and nightclubs along with a mask mandate. Officials believe the actions have helped to stem the tide of new positive cases.
Since that time, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health released 7-day moving average data of new cases which shows a declining number of cases.
They attribute the decline to the two mandates along with compliance from residents.
"I think it’s safe to assume that the mask mandate and closing the bars had an affect that lowered our cases to a more manageable level," Lawrence-Douglas Co. Public Health Director of Informatics Sonia Jordan said.
The chart shows the rising number of COVID-19 cases as the mask mandate and then shortly after the order to close down bars and nightclubs went into place. After a spike, the number of cases dropped significantly.
"Part of what’s been beneficial from returning to a more manageable level is that it’s given us the time to pause and plan for the fall that we wouldn’t have to continually to tread water," Jordan said.
During contact tracing, Jordan told 41 Action News, they found many of the cases were young adults in their 20s and 30s who visited several bars, causing a cluster.
It's data other health agencies are looking at and agree the orders are a main reason for the lower number of cases in the area.
"I think it's very good data and it is supportive of in a small scale of what can be done and maybe what needs to be done on a larger scale in different communities," Dr. Dana Hawkinson, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Kansas Health System, said.
Hawkinson said places where people gather in groups without masks on can spread the virus rapidly.
"The people that seem to be spreading it the most, they may not be hospitalized the most, but the people that seem to be spreading it and getting diagnosed the most are the group in the 20s 30s going out to the bars who are going out to the large gatherings, parties and things of that nature."
The more manageable level of cases is also important in Lawrence, as classes at the University of Kansas are expected to return soon with students from all over arriving on campus.
Health officials point out the fewer the COVID-19 cases, the higher the likelihood to return back to a somewhat normal atmosphere.
"We really need people to continue to do that if we want the fall and the return to school and the return of the university to be something that is manageable for our community and our hospital system," Jordan said.
Both mandates will continue indefinitely.
